The Stade is the plaice to be this summer with launch of new fish fair

Published:06:00Thursday 03 April 2014

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WE shall have a lot more little fishies on our dishies this year with the launch of a new summer fish fair.

The mouth-watering event is being organised by the borough council after the Hastings Fisheries Local Action Group secured funding from the European Union.

The council is recruiting a part time Fish Fairs Organiser to look after the event along with the Herring Fair and the Seafood and Wine Festival.

Contracted until September next year, the role will involve promoting and managing the events which are becoming more popular every year.

The Seafood and Wine Festival attracts up to 30,000 visitors and the Herring Fair up to 5,000.

Last year’s events proved ever popular and the demand for local deliacacies and marine cuisine continues to rise.

A National Food Survey by the Future Foundation revealed adults’ weekly consumption of fish in the UK will grow from just under eight million kilograms today, to 9.23 million kilograms by 2030, an increase of 17 per cent.

Yearly, this equates to a total UK adult consumption of 410,000 metric tonnes of fish in 2012, rising to around 480,000 metric tonnes in 2030.

The summer fish fair will take place over the weekend of June 21 and 22 and be based down at the Stade.

It will feature stalls of local suppliers selling the likes of local fish such as cod, plaice, herring, bass and haddock.

Kevin Boorman, spokesman for Hastings Borough Council, said: “We have some of the best fish right here on our doorstep and the summer fair is another chance to celebrate that.

“The Seafood and Wine Festival and Herring Fair are very popular and well attended. The job has been created for someone to work on all three fairs and help organise one of the most popular events in our calendar.

“We have had a few applications already. People love these events in Hastings and we are just giving people more of what they want.

“The stands are already booked and it promises to be another exciting and tasty event for our town.

“We will now have three fish and seafood celebrations and there’s no reason why we can’t have even more in the future.” The deadline for applications is 12pm on Friday, April 4. Visit www.hastings.gov.uk